San Mateo County Officials Declare Residents Can Return to Evacuated Areas

         Residents who were evacuated from low-lying areas in San Mateo County can now return to their homes, according to county officials who say that the danger of a tsunami has passed.

          Dangerous waves and tidal surges were expected between 7:30 a.m. and 8 a.m. in the wake of the magnitude 8.9 earthquake that struck off the northeast coast of Japan ten hours earlier.

          All highways and surface streets are now open, although beach areas and coastal waterways remain subject to unexpected and dangerous waves, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office.

          The county's Office of Emergency Services resumed normal operations at 4 p.m., a decision officials said was based on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's degradation of the hazard notification to an advisory from a warning.

          San Mateo County had no reported damage, injuries or loss of life related to the ocean surge, officials said.

--Bay City News